Used and reconditioned switchgear

Switchboard, low voltage switchgear or metal clad, know which you need

A low voltage switchboard is built and listed to UL 891. Low voltage power circuit breaker switchgear is built to UL 1558, with design standards IEEE C37.20.1 and C37.51, and uses power circuit breakers in their own metal compartments. ABB puts the difference in fault withstand at 30 cycles for switchgear against 3 cycles for a switchboard, which is why switchgear costs more and lasts longer in a plant or data center.

Medium voltage metal clad switchgear is covered by IEEE C37.20.2, with drawout breakers and rated maximum voltages from 4.76 kV to 38 kV and main bus ratings of 1,200, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 A. Metal enclosed medium voltage gear is a different product, and Electrical Trader puts metal clad at a 30 to 40 percent premium over it. Replace like with like and match the series of the existing lineup.

Used, surplus, reconditioned and as is

Surplus gear was bought for a project and never installed, or barely energized. Used gear has been in service and is sold as it stands. Reconditioned gear has been inspected, cleaned, repaired and tested, and the better shops follow the ANSI/PEARL reconditioning standards, written by the Professional Electrical Apparatus Reconditioning League, an ANSI accredited standards developer. Ask which one you are being offered and get it in writing.

Used switchgear prices against new

Electrical Trader publishes budget ranges for new gear and the share of the new price that used and reconditioned gear sells for. The used and reconditioned columns below apply those shares to the new ranges. They are market figures for budgeting, not our prices.

New ranges and percentages from Electrical Trader, read November 2026. The used and reconditioned dollar ranges are computed from them. As is gear sells for 30 to 50 percent of new at low voltage and 20 to 40 percent at medium voltage by the same source. One live listing for comparison, a 3,200 A Square D PowerZone 4 switchgear at 480 V was offered on Surplus Record at $110,000.

The costs on top of the gear

Electrical Trader lists the extras buyers forget. For low voltage gear, testing and certification run $2,000 to $10,000, transportation and rigging $3,000 to $15,000 and installation $5,000 to $30,000. For medium voltage gear, testing runs $10,000 to $30,000, transportation and rigging $10,000 to $50,000, installation and commissioning $20,000 to $100,000, and upgrading obsolete parts $5,000 to $50,000.

Lead times, why buyers go used

Wood Mackenzie surveyed switchgear lead times at about 44 weeks in the second quarter of 2025, as reported by NextMSC. Producer prices for switchgear and switchboard apparatus were up 89.4 percent from January 2020 by August 2026, and 13.3 percent on the year, on NextMSC figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dealers quote shorter waits for some standard gear, Powerhouse Systems puts 16 to 20 weeks as common for switchgear, generators and transfer switches.

Reconditioned gear in stock can usually ship once testing is done, and the used market is often the only source of an exact match for a lineup that is no longer built.

Tests and paperwork to demand

MIDWEST Switchgear lists the tests its reconditioned gear passes before shipping, insulation resistance (megger), contact resistance, overcurrent trip testing, winding resistance and high potential tests. The field standard for testing gear already in service is ANSI/NETA MTS, the maintenance testing specification, whose 2023 edition was approved as an American National Standard in March 2023. For valuable used gear, a NETA certified test engineer on site is worth the fee.

• Nameplate photos and serial numbers for every section and breaker
• Voltage class, continuous current, short circuit or interrupting rating, and bus bracing
• A written test report, insulation resistance, contact resistance and primary injection trip tests on the breakers
• Whether the gear is used as is, surplus or reconditioned, and to which standard
• Trip unit type and settings, control voltage and any relays, with their test results
• Photos of the actual unit, inside and out, not catalog images
• Warranty terms in writing, return conditions and how it will be crated for freight

Matching an existing lineup

When you add a section or replace a breaker, the voltage, current and interrupting ratings are only the start. Used Industrial Parts lists the rest, the manufacturer series, mounting style, frame size, trip unit, mechanical interlocks, dimensions, bus alignment and cable entry. Send the nameplate data and photos of the installed gear with the request, and ask whether the offered unit is an exact match, an approved substitute or just similar.

Square D, Eaton and Cutler-Hammer, GE, Siemens, ABB and Schneider gear holds its value on the used market because parts and familiarity are everywhere, according to Powerhouse Systems. Older lineups from those makers are also the easiest to find breakers for.

Warranty norms

A one year warranty on reconditioned equipment is common. MIDWEST Switchgear calls one year typical, and BuyMyBreaker backs its tested gear with a one year warranty. Gear sold as is through listing sites may carry 30 days or nothing. Price the warranty in when you compare offers.

How much does used switchgear cost

Electrical Trader puts used low voltage gear at 40 to 70 percent of the new price and used medium voltage gear at 30 to 60 percent. A new 1,600 to 2,500 A low voltage lineup budgets at $40,000 to $100,000 by the same source, so used gear of that size runs roughly $16,000 to $70,000 before testing, freight and installation.

Is reconditioned switchgear safe to use

It is when it has been reconditioned to a recognized standard such as ANSI/PEARL, tested with written results, and installed and commissioned properly. Ask for the test report and the warranty before you buy.

What is the lead time for new switchgear

Wood Mackenzie surveyed it at about 44 weeks in the second quarter of 2025. Some standard low voltage gear ships faster. Reconditioned gear in stock can ship once it is tested.

What is the difference between a switchboard and switchgear

A switchboard is listed to UL 891 and switchgear to UL 1558. Switchgear uses power circuit breakers in separate metal compartments and withstands a fault for longer, 30 cycles against 3 in ABB comparison, so it costs more and suits critical loads.

What warranty comes with used switchgear

One year is common on reconditioned gear from established shops. As is gear from listing sites may have 30 days or none.

Do you buy used switchgear

Yes. Send the nameplates, photos and location of the gear and we will tell you whether we can place it, and quote removal with it.